History of Benjamin Franklin Stewart
By Granddaughter Geneva Stewart
The earliest account we have of our branch of the Stewart family is of my great, great, grandfather Samuel Stewart and his family living in Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he was born about 1750.
In 1775 Samuel married Mary Hendricks, daughter of Daniel Hendricks. To them were born eight children, four sons and four daughters. About 1795 Mary Hendricks died leaving him the family to care for. Not too long after Mary's death he met and married Jershua Judd who bore him two sons.
In Williamstown they had a neighbor by the name of Stephen Scott. These two families became very close friends. Both the Scott and the Stewart families were of a pioneer nature. Both families wishing to better their financial condition, decided to make a move. So in the year 1800 part of the Stewart family and all of the Scott family moved to West Virginia and settled on the banks of the Ohio River.
Here the families were made even closer by the marriage of Sarah Scott to Philander Barrett Stewart which took place May 21, 1801. Shortly after their marriage Philander Barrett Stewart and his wife, along with their families, crossed the Ohio River and made their home in Jackson Township, Monroe County, Ohio. Here the families made their homes and lived for twenty-four years. It was here that twelve children were born to Sarah and Philander, four sons and eight daughters.
Benjamin Franklin Stewart, the subject of this sketch, was born October 22, 1817, the son of Philander and Sarah. Philander and Sarah were not only blessed with a lovely family but were also blessed in a financial way as well. They had a thriving mill business besides a well improved farm. But reverses came when Philander secured a note to set his brother up in business. The note was for $2,000.00, which was a lot of money in those days. The business venture failed and of course Philander had the note to pay or loose all he and Sarah had accumulated.
It was shortly after this incident happened that Philander was drowned in the Ohio River while trying to save a friend. Many a less heroic woman would have been crushed under this double calamity, not so with Sarah. She was a woman of great courage, hope and unbounded energy. She sold part of the farm and paid off the note, then she and the children set about to rebuild their finances. After four years of hard work she decided to sell out and move with her family to Illinois and make a new start.
Things did not work out too well for her here, so she and her family and two brothers bought a flat boat and sailed down the Ohio River. Their travels took them one thousand miles down the river clear across the state of Illinois. Franklin, one of Sarah's sons, was eleven years old when his mother took this trip. Imagine what a wonderful trip this must have been for a boy his age. There were twenty persons in the party, mostly children.
Franklin was only six when his father was drowned so he only had a faint recollection of him, but he did inherit many fine qualities from him. Owing to their financial circumstances and the meager facilities for schooling in those early days Franklin had very few opportunities to study under a teacher. He had to start work at an early age to do his share to support the family, but owing to his ambition and a desire for knowledge, he obtained a good education.
About three years after the Stewart family settled in Illinois, a family by the name of Richardson, who were from Cumberland, Kentucky, moved into their neighborhood. These two families became very close. Franklin and Polly Richardson were very good friends. In 1837 Franklin and Polly were married. Soon after their marriage Franklin and Polly moved to Van Buren County, Iowa. It was here that they heard about the Mormons. Polly became interested in this new religion and after investigating it, she became convinced that it was true, so she asked for baptism. Franklin was not quite so sure about this new religion. He was more interested in politics. But three years latter through the encouragement of Polly, he was baptized and became a member.
After their baptism, they joined the exiled Saints at Keg Creek, Iowa. It was here that Franklin was ordained a Seventy, April 6, 1847, by President Brigham Young. Shortly after this, he started his trek westward under the leadership of Brigham Young to find a place of refuge for the exiled Saints. He was one of seven men chosen by President Young to remain at Platte River to ferry the incoming Saints across. As a result of this assignment he did not arrive in Salt Lake City with the first Company on July 24, 1847. After this assignment was finished, he joined the A.O. Smoot Co. and arrived in Salt Lake City on September 27, 1847.
He was closely associated with President Brigham Young and accompanied him on several occasions when they went on trips to lay out new towns throughout the state. On November 23, 1849, he went with Brigham Young and forty-eight others to explore the southern part of the state. In crossing a range of mountains in the south they became lost. After several attempts to find a way out, President Young said, "Let us make camp and we still try again in the morning." On getting up in the morning President Young said, "Break camp and I will show you the way out for I was shown the way in a dream." It was on this trip that St. George was laid out as a future town. Later incoming Saints were sent there to make their homes.
In March of 1850 he moved with his family to Payson, Utah where he lived for several years. He was recognized as a leader, both spiritually, temporally, and politically.
On September 6, 1851, he married Elizabeth Davis as a plural wife, who had also crossed the plains arriving in Salt Lake City in 1850. To this union were born ten children, one of whom was my father Franklin Henry.
In 1862 he was set apart as Counselor to J.B. Fairbanks of the Payson Ward. On February 9, 1862, he was elected Mayor of Payson. In this capacity he served two terms of two years each.
In 1866 he, with his brother laid the foundation of a town which became known as Benjamin in his honor, thus fulfilling a prophecy made to him in a Patriarchal Blessing given to him by John Smith in 1847. In 1871 he was appointed Mayor of Benjamin, a position he held until his death.
By nature he was a promoter and was interested in many enterprises for the building up of the country. His active life was brought to an untimely close by being killed with lightning at Benjamin, June 6, 1885. The funeral was held under the shade of the grove of trees that he had planted himself.
He was a kind, gentle, and an indulgent father and husband. He was just and generous to a fault. There was never a cloud without a silver lining. His great hope, courage, and cheerfulness was as a ray of sunshine to all who came under its influence. He was wonderful and sympathetic. Nothing that would add to the comfort of others was any trouble. Service to others was his motto.
History of Benjamin Franklin Stewart
Taken From "A Town is Born"
Benjamin Franklin Stewart was born October 1, 1817 in Jackson township Monroe County, Ohio, the son of Philander Barrett Stewart and Sarah Scott. His parents were well-to-do farmers and also operated a mill. When Benjamin was six years of age his father was accidentally drowned in the Ohio River and soon after financial reserves made it necessary for the mother and her children to leave their home and travel to the state of Illinois with the hope that there they could make a living.
In 1837, Benjamin married his childhood sweetheart, Polly Richardson and soon after the young couple moved to Van Buren, Iowa. Here they came in contact with the Elders of the Mormon Church and Polly readily accepted their teachings and was baptized. It was three years before Benjamin became a member of the Church. In Winter quarters, when the pioneer band was selected Benjamin was chosen to accompany it to Utah. The following is an account of the trek as recorded by him:
On June 12, 1847, the pioneers reached the place where the Oregon Trail crossed the Platte, being 124 miles from Fort Laramie. The Platte at this place was usually forded but this season it was particularly high. The company here encountered one of the foremost groups of Oregon emigrants. Three days before this the pioneer company had seen a small detachment of men in advance of the main camp and they arrived four hours ahead of the Oregon company. These Mormon Scouts had a skiff that would carry 1500 to 1800 pounds so they were employed by the Missourians to ferry the Oregon immigrants over. The immigrants paid the pioneers $1.50 for each wagon and load in flour and $2.50 per hundred pounds, yet flour was worth $10.00 per hundred at least at the Platte River. The earnings were divided equally among the members of the pioneer camp which amounted to 5 ½ lbs. of flour each, 2 lbs. of meal and a small piece of bacon. "It looked as much of a miracle to me," writes Wilford Woodruff, "to see our flour and meal bags replenished in the Black Hills as it did to have the children of Israel fed with manna in the wilderness. But the Lord has been truly with us on our journey and wonderfully blessed and preserved us."
These little stores of flour were instrumental in saving the lives of many of the pioneers. While camped here, some of the men killed three buffalo and two antelopes which were distributed among the company. After repeated attempts with different methods of conveying the pioneer company across the river, a boat was made for ferrying the wagons over. It consisted of two large cottonwood canoes which were placed parallel to each other a few feet apart; then pinned firmly with cross pieces, on the top of which were nailed slabs running lengthwise of the canoes, then attaching a rudder and oars with a little iron work, the boat was made strong enough to carry over loaded wagons. Several companies of Missourians camped on the banks of the river. They offered to pay to the pioneer camp $1.50 a lead for every load ferried over and fifty cents per man for each man who helped with the work. A meeting was held and nine men were chosen to stay behind and ferry over the numerous companies who were continually passing on their way to Oregon. These men were further instructed to come on with the next company who were expected in a month or six weeks. The commission Benjamin Stewart faithfully fulfilled and when he was later joined by his wife and children they traveled to Utah together.
He first settled in Mill Creek and started a sawmill which he operated for several years. Mr. Stewart was a member of the exploratory expedition headed by Parley P. Pratt for the purpose of extending the pioneer settlements into southern Utah. After his return he became particularly interested in the area around Payson. Later he moved his family there, built and operated a sawmill in Payson Canyon for several years and then built and operated a nail factory near the site of the town. On September 6, 1858 he married Elizabeth Davis as a plural wife.
After his return from a mission to Iowa and Illinois he moved his family to a settlement north of Payson where he acted as presiding Elder and it was at this time that the small community, Benjamin, was named in his honor. On June 22, 1885 he was struck by lightning at Benjamin and instantly killed.
Information on what Benjamin, Utah was like when my Ancestors Lived There in the 1800's
Taken from "A Town is Born"
If we travel west and south from Spanish Fork prior to the year 1860, we would have found the Red Man roaming over the land through the town where Benjamin now stands. No white people were living in that section as it belonged to the Indians and was known as the Indian Reservation.
In the South we come to some sloughs running north west toward the beautiful Utah Lake. Near these sloughs we would have found a few small log homes or dugouts scattered among the greasewoods. Perhaps we would have seen some young men herding cattle, lots of Jack Rabbits and Coyotes, but we would have seen none of the beautiful things we see today.
Suppose we were making an imaginary visit to a typical home of the first settlers in Benjamin. As we approach a dirt roofed log cabin with maybe one or two windows and a single door we notice that there are no trees, shrubs, or lawns in sight. About the only vegetation is greasewoods. Close by is a woodpile with an ax standing upright in a heavy piece of wood for a chopping block, with chips and small limbs scattered around.
As we knock on the door we notice that the door is make of rough boards. There is no doorknob and a buckskin string protrudes through a hole in the upper part of the door. In response to our knock we hear someone inside say, "Come in," so we pull the string which lifts the latch on the inside and the door opens.
As we step inside and are greeted we see the father, mother and three or four children. The father wears a mustache and his whiskers have not been shaved for sometime. He is busy mending a shoe with leather from an old discarded saddle or broken harness tug. The mother is cooking dinner. She is wearing a dark calico dress with the skirt reaching within an inch or two of the floor, her hair neatly combed with a bob on top.
The walls of the cabin look the same on the inside as on the outside. We notice the rough board floor and the cook stove or fireplace in one side of the room with a frying pan hanging on one side and a large woodbox nearby. The box is partly filled with wood. Two beds are in the far corners of the room. There is a cupboard made of rough lumber with a curtain in front. A gun hanging above the door is considered a necessity, not for defense, but for securing game animals for food. We hear thunder, the lightning seems quite close and the rain soon begins to fall fast. Rain water starts leaking through the roof and little muddy streamlets start falling from the ceiling in several places. Pans and buckets are hurriedly placed so as to catch the water and prevent it from falling on the beds and splashing on the floor. Fortunately the shower quickly passes and when the water stops dripping the pans and buckets are emptied and life goes on as if nothing had happened.
We accept an invitation to eat dinner with the family. One of us sits on a box because there are not enough chairs for visitors. We have good food, homemade bread, (there is no other kind), fresh butter made from cream skimmed from pans of milk and shook in a bottler to form butter, potatoes, gravy, and fried rabbit. For dessert a bit of molasses or jam. We enjoy the good wholesome food without any thought of the calorie count. In fact we have never heard the word, calorie.
As we bid our host good-by and leave we notice large spike nails driven in the logs just under the eaves on the north side of the house. These are used in winter to hang pieces of meat. It is too high for a dog to reach and in the shade where the meat remains frozen until it can be used.
What few people that were here began clearing the ground of greasewoods, planting and harvesting what they could.
In the year 1862, Benjamin Franklin Stewart, with his brother Andrew Jackson Stewart, and others surveyed and laid the foundation of the town, three miles north of Payson, which was named Benjamin in his honor, thus fulfilling a prophecy concerning him given by Patriarch John Smith in the year 1847. This prophecy was that he would help to found a town and the town would be named after him.
By the year 1872, a number of these sturdy pioneers had established homes in this new section such as, A. J. Stewart, B. F. Stewart, Shadrach Richardson, Enoch Gurr, Tom Baker, Ephraim Kapple, Edward Stocks, Elijah Haws, Isaac Rogers, Dr. Hickman, George Hone and others.
They laid out roads, built bridges, made fences and ditches. They also built a canal from the Spanish Fork river in order to irrigate their crops which grew so abundantly and became a delight to the eye. They fought the crickets and grasshoppers. They hauled logs from the nearby canyons and built themselves homes.
The logs were clinched up with clay and for sometime they had dirt roofs and dirt floors. They pasted paper over the windows for glass and some hung blankets for doors. For light these first settlers used what were called a bitch, made by dipping rags in grease and then later they made their own candles.
As far as we can ascertain Enoch Gurr was the first man to perfect adobe making in Benjamin. One of these adobe rooms still stood for many years.
The housewives made a water softener by taking a large barrel, filling it with water and then putting wood ashes in it. The ash would settle to the bottom and a wonderful softener was the result. They boiled this and combined with grease made fine soap.
They did all their sewing with a needle and thread and were expert in making ruffles, tucks and doing the finest kind of stitching, as well as making overalls and pants for the men. They corded and dyed the wool and spun in into yarn which was knitted or woven into cloth to make their clothes. They also made many beautiful quilts, using the smallest of pieces of material so nothing was wasted.
When shoes were needed, soles were whittled out of soft wood and shaped to the size of the foot, then the uppers were cut out of skins and tacked to the soles.
The water question was a problem to these early settlers. During the summer months they used the water from the irrigation ditches and in the winter carried or hauled the water from the warm spring located near where the Arrowhead Resort now stands. Imagine carrying